ON THE USE OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS IN LOCAL HEALTH-PLANNING - A CANADIAN NON-METROPOLITAN PERSPECTIVE

This paper argues that the use of socio-demographic indicators to repr esent actual or potential demand for mental health services needs to b e informed by knowledge of local settlement conditions and trends. Fol lowing a selective review of the literature on the use of socio-demogr aphic indicators in mental health care planning and on the spatial eco logy of mental illness, a case study of a non-metropolitan jurisdictio n in southern Ontario, Canada is presented. The results of a regressio n-based analysis reveal a strong association between the socio-demogra phic composition of populations and hospitalization rates for mental i llness. The pattern of correlates appears to be underlain by residenti al location processes that 'filter' populations on the basis of age an d socio-economic status. It is concluded that, in the absence of this knowledge of local social geography, applications of indicators method ologies run the risk of being 'black boxes'.